Controlling mechanism for elevators.



No. 728,228. Q PATEN'TED MAY 19', 1-903.

, T. W. VHEERMANS. CONTROLLING MEGHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 4. 1895.

no MODEL.

Urrnn STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of-Letters Patent No. 728,228, dated May 19, 1903. I

Application filed November 4, 1895- Serial rt. 567,885. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THADDEUS W. HEER- MANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Gontrolling Mechanism for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valve-controlling mechanism for elevators.

The object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction of mechanism for controlling the valves of elevators and to render the same more positive and efficient in operation.

The invention consists, substantially, in the construction, combination, location, and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter'set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings and to the views and reference-signs appearing thereon, wherein- Figure 1 is a view infront elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention, parts being broken and parts in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation, parts being broken and parts in vertical section.

In the drawings, A'designates a portion of the cage or car of an elevator structure adapted to travel up and down in the elevator well or shaft and to be propelled by any suitable motor, which it is not necessary to show.

B designates a cable of the class known in the art as a running cable and is attached to the car, as at C, to travel therewith. Mounted upon the car and suitably journaled is a drum D, around which one leg or run of the cable B is arranged to pass, as shown, and said drum or other suitable or convenient operating device is or may be provided with an operating hand-wheel or other suitable device, as at E, by which cable 13 may be moved relativelyto the car-that is, taken up and paid out, as will presently be more fully described. V

In the top of the elevator well or shaft is arranged a suitable bracket or support, as at F, to which is pivoted, as at a, intermediate its ends, a lever G, having at one end an adjustable counterbalancing-weight H and pivotally secured at its opposite end, as at b, to

a suitable frame orplate, as K, upon which are journaled three guide-pulleys L, M, and O. The pulleys L and M are preferably arranged with their aXes in the same horizontal plane, and, if desired, and preferably, all the pulleys L, M, and O are in the same vertical plane, though pulley O is journaled in the space between and in a lower horizontal plane than pulleys L and M. To the center of frame or plate K is pivoted, as at 0, one end of an arm or link P, the other end of said arm or link being pivoted, as at d, to bracket or support F. The length of arm or link P between its points of pivotal support 0 d is preferably the same as the distance between the pivotal points I) a/of lever G. The purpose of this arrangement is to secure uniformity of movement of plateor frame K under the influence of the counterbalancing movement of weighted arm or lever G and to prevent said plate or frame from rocking about the pivotal point 5 when power is applied from the car to cable B to effect an actuation of the valve or controlling mechanism of the hoisting motor, as will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art. 1

In the bottom of the elevator well or shaft are the traveling pulleys R S, arranged to be supported by the bights of the cable B in a well-known manner, and attached to each pulley R S is a cable or other suitable flexible connection T V, leading to the valve or controlling mechanism of the hoistingmotor, whereby when one or the otherof said sheaves is raised or moved by the manipulation of the central device on the car the. valve or controlling; mechanisrnof the engine is correspondingly shifted or actuated in one direction or the other, as the case may be, and as will, be readily understood.

In order to guide the sheaves their movements, and hence to prevent them from twisting or swinging looselyabout, I provide the guides W- Q, and I provide each.

sheave with a suitable bar. J, arranged to engage the guides W Q. This result may be accomplished in any suitable or convenient manner, the form shown being a simple way wherein the guides W Q are vertical brackets arranged in pairs, the bracket-Q being centrally located and serving as one of the guides for both sheaves. A bar J is mounted on R S during both faces of each pulley R S, and the guides W Qare received between the projecting ends of said bars, as clearly shown.

The lead of the cable B is as follows: From the point C where said cable is attached to the car it leads up over sheave L, thence over sheave M, thence down and around loose sheave S, thence to and around the drum D on the car, thence to and around sheave O, thence down and around loose sheave R, and finally to point C, where it is secured to the car. The relative position of sheaves R and S corresponds with that of sheaves L and M, and hence it will be seen that the cable forms two bights at the top and two at the bottom of the well, one bight at the top being arranged within the other bight, and hence the four runs or legs of the cable are vertically arranged and are not crossed, but extend in straight vertical lines.

From the above description it will be observed that the cable is a single continuous rope and that it travels with the car. When the cable-operating device on the car is in its normal positionthat is, when it is at restthe cable travels over the several sheaves or pulleys, and especially the loose sheaves or pulleys R and S, while the car is ascending or descending, without raising or lowering them, and hence without effecting an actuation of the valve orcontrol mechanism of the hoistingmotor. \Vhen, however, the conductor or attendant on the car actuates the cable-controlling device to take up and pay out the cable relative to the motion of the car-that is, when he turns the wheel E in the direction of travel of the hands of a watch, for instance -that run or leg of the cable leading to drum D from sheave or pulley O is wound upon said drum, and hence effects a raising of loose sheave or pulley R, carried in the bight of the cable formed by the two left-hand legs or runs, as shown in Fig. 1. The same movement causes the leg or run extending from drum D toward and around sheave or pulley S to be correspondingly paid out, thereby permitting said sheave or pulley to be lowered, and hence effecting an actuation of the hoistingmotor control or valve mechanism. In a sirnilar manner a reverse movement of sheaves or pulleys R and S is effected by the operation of the cable-con trolling device on the car in the opposite direction.

It will be seen that by mounting all the pulleys in the top of the well upon a movable frame or bracket and counter-balancing said frame or bracket the slack in each separate run or leg of the cable is constantly and independently taken up and that each leg or run is maintained taut, which result is not accomplished in the case where a single countel-balanced sheave is provided for the entire cable, and hence the valve-controlling mechanism of the hoisting-motor responds immediately and quickly to a slight range of movement of the cable-controlling device on the car. Moreover, as the runs or legs of the caelevator-well except the bracket or support F.

It will be evident that many changes and alterations in the details of construction, size and proportions ofparts, arrangement, and relative arrangement of parts would readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art as occasion or the particular condition of each case may require and still fall within the spirit and scope of my invention. I do not desire, therefore, to be limited or restricted to the exact details and form shown and described; but, I

Having explained the object and nature of my invention and a form of apparatus embodying the same and having explained the function and mode of operation thereof, what I claim as new and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a controlling device for elevators, an endless traveling cable having two pairs of bights formed therein, means for supporting one of said pairs of bights at the top of the elevator shaft or well, one of said bights being arranged between the runs forming the other bight, an independent sheave or pulley loosely mounted in each member of the pairs of bights at the bottom of the shaft or well, an independent flexible connection from each of said sheaves to the valve or controlling mechanism of the hoisting-motor, guides in which said independent sheaves operate, and means, carried by the car, arranged to engage one of the runs forming a part of a bight at each end of the shaft or well, for actuating said cable; as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a controlling device for elevators, a continuous traveling cable having bights formed therein at the top and bottom of the elevator-well, sheaves carried in the bights at the bottom of the shaft, each having a pair of bars mounted on opposite faces thereof with projecting ends,stationary guides adapted to be received between the projected ends of each pair of said bars, means connected with said sheaves for controlling the valvegear of the hoist-motor and means carried by the car for taking up and paying out said cable, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a controlling device for elevators, a cable, connections between the same and the motor-valve or control mechanism, means for actuating said cable from the car, guidingsheaves arranged in the top of the elevatorwell, a supporting-plate therefor, a pivoted counterbalanced. lever supporting said plate,

' and a link connection between said plate and a fixed part of the framework; as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a control device for elevators, a cable, connections between the same and the motorvalve or controlling mechanism, means for actuating said cable from the car, guidingsheaves for said cable arranged in the top of the elevator -well, a plate or frame upon which said sheaves are journaled, a stationary bracket, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends upon said bracket, and carrying a weight at one end and pivotally supporting the said plate at the opposite end, and a link pivotally connected to said plate and bracket respectively; as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a control device for elevators, a cable, connections between the same and the valve to form a second bight therein, a plate hav- 3o ing bearing for all of said sheaves, means for" pivotally supporting and counterbalancing said supporting-plate; as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 3 5 hand this 31st day of October, 1895.

THADDEUS W. HEERMANS. Attest:

M. I. CAVANAGH, S. E. DARBY. 

